


Empty Days

by Tarlan



Category: Eureka
Genre: Canon Het Relationship, Community: trope_bingo, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Romance, Trope Bingo Round 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-02
Updated: 2015-04-02
Packaged: 2018-03-20 23:29:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3669180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The bunker seems so quiet without Zoe but an unexpected presence in this new time line fills some of that emptiness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Empty Days

**Author's Note:**

> Just a very quick ficlet written for **trope_bingo** round 4: empty nest

The banister leading upstairs was clear of clothing, and he hadn't tripped over a book bag or a pair of boots in weeks. It was unsettling, and he found himself drifting around the bunker trying to find things to tidy up.

He'd never been that much of a neat freak but he had needed to set a good example for Zoe. Now it was force of habit, with everything put away, and no used dishes left on the breakfast bar or on the coffee table. Even the popcorn bowl from last night's solitary game watching session was cleaned, dried, and put away.

SARAH had another ball game playing in the background but he couldn't settle and focus on it, craning to hear any noises from cohabiting with a formerly delinquent teen, but no sound of whatever passed for modern music drifted down stairs from Zoe's room, and he heard no girlish laughter and giggles as she talked with her friends. Admittedly it would have shocked him if he had. Zoe had gained early acceptance into a prestigious university, more than he could have ever hoped for considering all the years of running away, credit card fraud, and teenage drama he'd suffered through before she fully settled in Eureka.

It had been hard to let her go but he'd known that particular day would come eventually. Plus he'd been given far longer with her than he'd originally expected after Abby allowed Zoe to stay in Eureka following the VR-psycho-whatever device fiasco.

He'd never had a chance to truly deal with Zoe leaving as Tess had been there, filling the quiet spaces with her loud presence. Not that Tess had ever actually moved into the bunker but it had been a close thing.

Everything had changed after that kiss back in 1947, but not the way Jack had envisaged.

"SARAH, can you save the game for later."

"Certainly, Jack. Is there a problem?"

"Yeah, no." He shook his head. "Just not in the mood."

"You do seem rather distracted since Zoe left for Harvard."

He waited but she made no reference to Tess, or to the fact that Tess had left only a week earlier for that perfect job in Australia, but he was beginning to suspect SARAH had liked Tess only marginally more than Abby. He thought maybe it was because Tess had tried to convince him to go with her to Australia, playing on his house's abandonment issues. It certainly explained the occasional smell of burnt food when it was just Tess in the bunker. Naively, at the time he had kind of assumed Tess was just a very bad cook, and the tension in the air was because SARAH really didn't like anyone cooking inside her - except for Zoe.

Tess was gone and SARAH did not miss her at all. Worse, Jack didn't really miss her either.

Zoe was gone, and Jack missed her every single day, and perhaps that should have given him enough of a mental jolt because it was the same numb feeling of loss he had felt daily since the death of Nathan Stark - or at least it was until a few hours ago.

Fargo was pretty disappointed when he discovered he was just the stand-in director while the real Director of Global Dynamics took a six month sabbatical - and now the real director was back, and it was none other than the former bane of Jack's existence, Nathan Stark.

"You miss me, Carter?" Nathan had asked, and fortunately the familiar smirk had knocked the sense back into him before he did something totally uncharacteristic and hugged the man.

"Doctor Stark is at the door."

Jack froze, panic filling him momentarily, but fortunately SARAH didn't just let Nathan in like she had the last time he'd come to the bunker so he hoped this wasn't another one of SARAH's interventions.

"Jack, should I let him in?"

"Ah, sure."

The door swung open with a pneumatic hiss and Nathan stepped inside looking just as charismatic and handsome as always despite his casual clothing of dark denim and a pale polo shirt with the sleeves rolled up to reveal strong forearms. Jack felt his mouth go dry, and he covered his reaction by turning towards the kitchen.

"Beer me, SARAH... and whatever he wants," he added reluctantly.

"I'll take a beer too."

"Yes, Doctor Stark."

"Please call me Nathan, SARAH," he stated, glancing up with a smile.

"Of course, Nathan," SARAH purred in response.

"Hussy," Jack murmured and yelped when she gave him a static shock.

"House problems?"

"No, just a little static... that might end up affecting certain TV stations," he threatened mildly. He looked at Nathan. "So how was... wherever you've been for the past six months."

Nathan's response was to smile disarmingly and step right into Jack's personal space, close enough for Jack to feel the heat from his skin bleeding through the layers of cotton separating them. The kiss took him by surprise, mostly because it was really good. Shockingly good, and his mind was reeling by the time Nathan pulled back.

"What the...? What...?" He felt stunned, dazed and excited in a way he hadn't felt with Allison in his arms back in 1947.

Nathan drew back, lips curved smugly. "Now that's the Carter I know and love."

"Love?"

Years later Jack could never recall how they got from that moment to his next clear memory, of lying naked and happy next to Nathan in his bed upstairs, body sated from great sex. As for SARAH, whatever problem she had with Abby and Tess never materialized with Nathan. She even let Nathan cook without a murmur of disapproval.

Jack still missed Zoe most days and he knew he always would miss her, but Nathan's presence quickly filled the emptiness she had left behind. Yet, on those days when both of the people he loved most in this world were under the same roof, Jack couldn't be happier.

END  
.


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